Unwritten
by Faraaway
Summary: Three shot. Look inside to know what happened after Dustfinger went back to Inkheart. Movie ver. AU with Meggie as main character.
1. 14

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Title: **Unwritten

**Summary: **Three-shots I've wrote after I saw this - youtube . com/watch?v=-YCfbFA_w60&feature=related. I dedicate this short story to all Dustfinger and Meggie fans out there. Hopefully I didn't make many mistakes. Read and review please but no flames.

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><p>One day he came back and she could've see that day coming yet when lonely years after Capricorn's fall flew by fast somehow she completely forgot about <em>him<em>. Only if she knew he didn't forget her… and her family.

First time he showed himself in the middle of summer and of course at first no one saw him standing over there nearby big, old oak. However sometime after sky started to darken he appeared as if from nowhere behind Meggie. Strange feeling filled her up; someone was watching her so she slowly turned around to find him standing there, observing her.

Although before she spoke as much as one lonely word, Mo came running to her with his face twisted in anger… or fear she couldn't say.

"Dustfinger…"

Tall, blondish man cocked his head never taking his eyes from girl. "Hello Silvertongue. How're you living? Long time no see" he spoke calmly, keeping his steady gaze on girl. "Meggie."

There was a moment of sick silence that filled meadow. Meggie's stomach did flips and flops seeing him once again after two years but it wasn't a reason why she felt so nervous; the thing resided in his cold, ice-blue eyes. Warm wind twirled hers long hair, his jaw-lengthen curls quietly. Mo stepped between them, stern and ready for everything.

"Good" he answered keeping his voice neutral. "Meggie, go to Resa" he added from corner of his lips.

"Wha-?"

"Go, now!" he pressed, giving her a look.

Numbly she fumed inside but didn't say anything in response. Mo's behavior always got better of him when Dustfinger was around, why she couldn't say. Clutching hard the book she was reading, she turned towards manor; Elinor's manor where after everything what happened two years before they moved into.

"Why you're here?"

"I think you now, Silvertongue."

Meggie took two steps at once trying hard to ignore the fact that Dustfinger was in their garden talking to Mo. She reached for doorknob when she heard words that got her attention.

"I need _the_ book."

Side-stepping Meggie hid herself behind a wall; her curiosity was too great to not listen to what Dustfinger had to say; and so she heard every curtly word what was spoken that day yet she hadn't idea that it wasn't a best idea to do so.

The same day he was gone as suddenly as he came; he just went into world looking for his book – well that was what Mo's said to her. Still when he spoke of him she would've bet to chop off her hand that something extremely disturbed him about Dustfinger's appearance.


	2. 16

Months went by, changing season from warm summer to rainy autumn. Life seemed to went along, even Mo forgot about Dustfinger's visit. Yes he did, Meggie somehow couldn't no matter what. From day to day she could've try everything to forget him yet in the end fail miserably to do so. Farid wouldn't help her either; almost every time asking her to speak about Dustfinger and for seven hundredth ninety-third time tell him how much did he change.

On one of those days she caught herself in thinking that he didn't change at all, he still seemed to be the same hurt and sad man she met two years ago. Or he was even worse now, without his horned marten Gwin. Speaking of him, he got to like Farid a lot past years and now they've almost inseparable.

Soon when first snow covered all meadow white, something happened. It was just one day, week before Christmas when Mo asked for everyone to speak with them. Thinking it was about Christmas, Meggie felt so excited she almost forgot about _him_. That's when Mo mentioned _him_ and said he has to go visit few bookstores urgently.

It wouldn't be anything surprising if Mo didn't put words like _Dustfinger_ and _Inkheart_ into his little speech. Farid by simple sound of his dear friend's name leapt on legs, already ready to go on a journey. Old Elinor like always fumed about her library and books which still needed to be renewed and Resa, she didn't say anything as if she knew that was coming.

That's when Meggie understood; looking from Mo to her mom, they've spoken about it before and that meant that something _was_ amiss. However even after she fumed loudly to both of them about not saying her things; Mo went with Farid towards the Alps and left her with mom and Elinor.

From that day months passed by quicker and before she knew she was already two years older. It was week before Christmas when Mo and Farid visited them; talking about bookstores they've seen and people they've met. She wasn't interested though anymore, feeling betrayed somehow by Mo and when opportunity presented itself she chosen to go with Elinor to the nearby city.

That was the second time she have seen him. At first she double-checked if she have seen correctly because it was hard to tell with fire-dancers walking around little square. From every day in the world she had to pick up the one when fire-dancers were pleasing citizens with their artwork. As if everything, somewhere between watching men on wooden stilt walkers and remembering _him_… she found his calm gaze behind fiery flame.

At first she was so shocked she turned around frantically and went looking for hers aunt. Yet turning every corner, walking very next alley she felt his eyes on her back; she even checked more than once if he was following her but never saw at least a shadow of his silhouette.

Getting in the end back on the square she felt foolish as she never felt before; her heart was beating faster and hands were trembling terribly. After a while, calmed a bit she went back on the spot she saw him; this time wasn't surprised to see him there still looking and probably wondering where she was.

She locked their gazes into one, sometime later knowing that he wasn't the one who's going to end this odd game of cat and mouse. Flames were dancing beautifully with the wind, the thing she always wondered about. Without fire wind was just a wind, same was going to fire but when they've met they gave a birth to the most beautiful and incredible thing in the world.

"You should be careful, fire doesn't have a sense of humor here."

Meggie's eyes got wide at those words, he was behind her and she hadn't spot when he came over to her. For some unknown reason her heart once again started to beat faster and her hands trembling. It seemed that his presence was making her that way.

"I thought you should know."

Slowly and quietly she turned, gulping at the sight of him. Yes, when she saw him two years ago he had the same cloud of misery about him like now. Same cold eyes, half-smirk on face and those awful scars on left cheek.

"How's Silvertongue?"

He asked such an easy question with such a blank face she hadn't a heart not to answer it. "He's fine" she found herself responding. "Somewhere in the Alps looking through bookstores."

He nodded his head once. "How's Farid?"

"With Mo."

"Oh…"

Nearby fire-dancer breathed fire upon their heads; rest was swallowed by everlasting silence. Starring at each other gave her queasy feeling, it seemed at least odd if not wrong in some way yet she couldn't stop herself. He seemed sad and awfully tired; from his eyes she could read out probably every miserable thought he had on his mind, still at the same time she'd felt as a stranger who'd want to barge into his world by doing this.

"How are you, Meggie?"

She hugged herself to keep warm. "Fine. You?"

"Miserable."

"I could say…"

"You still can read characters out of books?"

This time she nodded numbly not having any idea where that conversation was going. Dustfinger right then tried to come closer but her aunts voice brought her out to look at her. Not few seconds later Elinor with Darius walked out from nearby alley; before she could say a word to _him_ she found herself looking at empty space where he was just couple second ago.

"Meggie, we found everything we wanted. Did you pick something for you?" asked Elinor, looking at girl.

"No, I didn't find anything special."

"Alright, we're going home then?"

"Yes. It's cold."

"Then come dear child, you're going to freeze to death if you won't start moving around…"

Great aunt passed her with Darius nearby; she yet simply had to look for the last time at the place where he stood, watching her before. Somehow she has been awfully disappointed when from between the fire she discovered that he wasn't there anymore; he was gone. Like she when her aunt called her name to keep up with them.


	3. 18

They've met yet once again one and half year later on hers eighteenth birthday; unaware of the fact that it'd be their last rendezvous ever. Summer sun was shining brightly in the blue, cloudy sky hiding from time to time behind some white, puffy cloud that day. Meggie was reading hers latest present from Farid a book called _Pride and Prejudice_ when she heard hers mother booming voice calling her to come downstairs.

So she went taking two steps at once with worry on her face; Resa rarely raised her voice even when she argued with Mo or didn't agree about something. However worried as she was when her mom called her; in her casual jeans and loose sweater sliding from her arms; she hurried into living room and stopped dead in her tracks.

There she saw him lying on the couch with his eyes closed and breathing heavily as if every one breath came to him with great effort and enormous pain at once. She hasn't had to be a seer to know that he was sick, very sick judging from his sweaty face and curled fingers on bag. In that moment she found it funny that she hadn't seen any bag with him few years ago on that crowded square.

Questions flooded her mind and she could've even taste some of them on her lips; yet stunned as she was she only asked her mother what was happening. Like she thought, she hadn't got any answers she wanted to hear that day. After his appearance from nowhere days went by with him sleeping on the couch and barely responding to the world; one day Meggie found herself wetting his forehead because of terribly high fever when she could've swear at hers own life that he looked like a fading shadow of the person he have once been.

On that night she couldn't sleep thinking about the thing she witnessed. Turning from one side to another her mind wouldn't stop working and wondering how was that even possible. Through all night she would try to close her eyes, to get some rest but fail only opening them again and again and seeing him so lifeless, literally fading away.

When she said what she witnessed and got only a sad frown from Resa; she presumed that she knew much more than what she ever told her. Although she'd ask and beg her to tell her something, she'd never tell only saying that Mo knows more and she should talk with him. However how she was supposed to do that when he visited them on few occasions in those twelve months long years? Last time she have seen him she barely recognized him not to mention that somehow he seemed to be pretty upset about something.

In the end only her would sit around Dustfinger, worrying what was going on with him. Days passed quietly and he never opened his eyes, sometimes he'd only catch his breath and let it go with awfully pained expression on his face. On those days she'd bring books with her and start to read aloud, praying inside that nothing wouldn't jump out of it. And sometimes she'd simply sit in the armchair, watching him.

Yet nothing seemed to help him, his condition wasn't any better than when she saw him on hers birthday. She could've even say that sometimes, just sometimes she couldn't see his fingers or palms anymore. It was the creepiness thing she ever saw in her short life; same thought of just vanishing like one was made of nothing made goose bumps appear on her warm arms.

Two weeks more passed by and she started to lose that grasp of hope she have ever had that they'll find a way to help him and she'll see him again on a market one day, showing his love to his art. Frightening dark tunnel was swallowing her slowly from inside every time she gazed at his sleeping form. Then one day at the end of it little spark of light showed up with Mo walking into living room.

Oh, how happy she was when she saw him and Farid! Once Farid noticed laying, unmoving Dustfinger he thrown bag on the floor not caring about marten inside and rushed to sit by his barely visible now silhouette.

"Dust-finger!"

With tears in her eyes she came up to Mo right then and looked deep inside into his eyes; he'd hug her hard knowing that she was scared. As family once again was in complete, Mo'd gaze upon form of the man lying on couch and sigh loudly; taking out from his jacket one book. The book, _Inkheart_. He found it as he promised but seeing _him_ like that; almost transparent he didn't have much faith that when they'll read him in, he'll be alright. They've got to try anyway.

Very next day she woke up early but was quite surprised to find out that Farid and Mo were on legs already too. With their quiet hi's the three of them sat down by kitchen's table and drank tea. Between clock's ticking and horrible silence that filled up the room, Farid said something about Dustfinger looking like a ghost and right he was, the man still breathed however.

"Could I see it?" Meggie asked, mentioning to book. Mo nodded curtly, sliding the book towards her. She gulped, eying it. She couldn't put her finger on it but somehow it seemed to be _amiss_. "You're sure it's the right book?" On that she got astonished look from Mo. "I'm asking because I don't hear it… It's strange don't you think?"

Mo thought about it but let it slip by with heavy sigh. "It's still Inkheart, look inside."

She checked and was surprised to find out that letters on page were rippling as sea waves. Concerned about Dustfinger's well being she got a sinking feeling in gut; however taking on brave face she went through next pages only to find exactly same movement. She caught one of pages to be fading and rewriting itself few times as well; this she showed to Mo.

"What..?" he asked not believing in what he's seeing. "Impossible!"

"Not anymore, it looks as if book was trying to rewrite itself but… _how?"_

Mo shook his head, sliding one hand over his face. "It's the only copy…"

"What's happening?" asked Farid noting their expressions. "Book's good, the right one."

"Yes, you're right but somehow words aren't on the pages anymore I'm afraid." Meggie said through knot in her throat. "And that means that…"

"Dust-finger?"

"We can't do anything" added Mo, looking towards sleeping man. "As much as I want to help him, I can't unless I find a reason why this is happening" he pointed to a book which found its residence once again in Meggie's hands. She was looking through every page, trying to find something, anything what could point out the reason... why.

"Or we could try to read something out of it…" proposed Farid, rising his eyebrows.

"Yes, we could. However you remember it's very dangerous thing to do, I don't have any control about what comes and goes" reasoned Mo.

"Then why we don't try to read Dust-finger into book now?"

"We could but…" he wondered about fading words. "Maybe it's because Dustfinger was such a long time in our world… Yes, that made sense! Of course! Meggie, we have to read Dustfinger back into Inkheart!"

Meggie looked up frowning. "It would've be a great idea to do so but there's a small problem…"

"Problem?" he asked, receiving short nod from daughter. "Kind of..?"

"…we don't have any sentence about him, look!" she stated, riffling pages and putting down Inkheart on table, irritated. "There's nothing! Like he never existed… As if Fenoglio never wrote him…"

Over three's heads endless silence hang mercilessly and then after few seconds Meggie and Mo almost shouted man's name.

"Fenoglio!" Both said looking at themselves with raising hope. "Of course! Why we didn't think of that before! You said he asked you to read him into book, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. Do you think that that's the reason why Inkheart is this way now? And… Dustfinger?"

"There's no other explanation to it, it has to be it! Pass the book, please."

Meggie slid it towards Mo who started to going through it. After a while he growled under his nose, showing the last page where story was slowly fading.

"Rest is completely blank" he stated somehow frightened. "If I saw this before we'd be here faster" his eyes rested on Dustfinger. "He doesn't have much time left."

Both her and Farid nodded numbly.

"If there was something I could do" spoke Farid, ready to do anything only to save his friend. "I would do anything!"

"Good point, what do we _can_ do?" wondered Mo, knitting his eyebrows.

"Read out Fenoglio" said Meggie, believing that it will help. "Maybe when author will go back to his world, book will stop trying to fade away."

"Not so bad idea, but there's not even one reference to him in all book… or whatever left of it."

"We need to write it! I'll go for a pen, I'll be right back...!"

Mo opened his mouth but before he spoke a word Meggie was gone.

"We're going to save Dust-finger?" asked Farid. Mo nodded.

"Hopefully Meggie's skill will do it."

Meggie showed up with a pen and notebook, she sat down and looked at Mo.

"Last time it worked when the beginning was from book" she stated more than asked. "This time we'll try the same trick…"

And so she plunged into her second nature, writer. As if from distance she heard clock's sinister ticking; forcing her to write quickly and without second thought. No one said anything to her since then and half day passed by already. She hadn't anything good written though and she started to get irritated by hers own writer's block.

She finished before sunset, looking into Inkheart from time to time to check if yet next pages didn't fade away. Anyway after seemed to be a lifetime for her she got the final version of page. Breathing heavily she came into living room where everybody was sitting on the edge, waiting for this all day long.

"I have it" she said feeling every pair of eyes on her. "Mo…" she brought out piece of paper towards him but he shook his head slowly.

"I don't think I can do it however you…"

"Me?"

Mo nodded solemnly.

"But I…" she muttered, looking everywhere but not at him.

"You have more control upon it than I have besides I have a faith in you, Meggie" he said getting up with Resa. Elinor smiled also leaving her behind with that quest.

"But Mo…" she pleaded, not knowing why. "Farid?"

Farid looked upon Dustfinger and then at her. "We believe in you" he said, walking outside.

"Why are you going? Don't leave me alone with this, please… Mom?"

Resa smiled small, sad smile. She put her hand on daughter's arm and squeezed it. "Some things you have to do alone, Meggie. You're young, beautiful woman now" she bit her bottom lip as if thinking about something. Then suddenly she leaned forward only for Meggie's ears. "I hope you'll understand that. After you bring him back, alright?"

Meggie as shocked as she felt didn't know what to say to that. "Mom!"

Resa smiled once again that strange smile and then disappeared on stairs just like Mo and Elinor few minutes before her. Holding her own, changed version of Inkheart in hand; she felt dizzy knowing that in her hands was Dustfinger's _to be or not to be_ and probably not only his. It was overwhelming and exciting at once.

Clock's ticking brought her out of her reverie and she cleared her throat. Finally after few deep breaths she started to read aloud. First five lines she rewrote from the book itself only rest was her own story which hopefully would do what's supposed to do and turn wrongs into right. She caught herself on familiar tingling from tips of her fingers when she was in the middle of her story; she eyed Dustfinger out of corner of her eye then and have seen strange glow around him. Without waiting for miracle she finished the page with the words:

"…and once young girl's wrong was put to right."

Tingling sensation stopped and glow was no more around Dustfinger however he wasn't transparent anymore and his breaths were steady and slow. Her _silvertongue_ worked yet again, this time saving not only the man in front of her but all _Inkworld_ and every creature that lived there. Yes this time it was a happy ending, for how long she didn't know.

The very next day Dustfinger opened his eyes and was greeted by utmost surprising view of Farid and his marten Gwin. He heard what was going on and that he was in a coma for almost halt month. For Meggie though seeing him so close and so alive was odd, not forgetting that she was seeing him most of time sleeping like a baby in a crib. As she supposed first words were a way too clumsy, oh and to make things worse Elinor mentioned something to Dustfinger about her taking care of him all this time.

The way he looked at her then, she felt as if she was on fire! It wasn't the end though, her mom took a liking to getting her in the least appropriate situations with him from all people. However as aware as she was of even the smallest details from said situations it seemed that he didn't care about them at all always being, well… _him_.

Week later sun was bright on the sky, clouds were passing by when Dustfinger asked them to read him back into the book. Even that she knew he's going to ask for it she wasn't ready for it, not yet. Too soon she wanted to say yet she didn't, knowing it wasn't her place to do so. Being aware of what she had to do, she brought the book with her outside where he was sitting. She said that she'll read him back but not before he'll say a proper goodbye to everybody.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance then yet she could've tell that he was somewhat thankful for it. Somehow all family came out to the garden and then she walked up to them to give Mo the book. He looked at her curiously and she answered that he should read him back like a last time. What he didn't see however was deep, painful sadness in her eyes.

Dustfinger stood ready to go after all goodbyes were said although one person surprised him. It was Meggie. She came up to him but didn't even stopped herself from hugging him strongly. Right then one lonely tear slid down her cheek, she knew it was the last time she'd ever see him. Somehow she wasn't offended when he didn't turn hers hug back, after all he was Dustfinger and he probably still saw her as that twelve years old girl he met so many years ago.

But then she felt him responding to her hug, lovingly putting his head on hers shoulder. She knew he liked her. All this time, wherever he have been she always got that feeling as if he was watching her. From behind she heard Mo's voice saying something to her but she let it slip away, keeping _him_ in her arms. When she backed a little to look at him something inside her twitched and on impulse she got on tiptoes, bended towards him and kissed him.

Awkward silence filled the meadow and she found herself blushing at misplaced kiss. It was supposed to be a friendly kiss on the cheek yet she caught a corner of his lips. The time seemed to slow down with her rosy lips on his unshaven cheek. Blindly she found his eyes on her and blushed even more because it wasn't she who misplaced a kiss, it was him. When she didn't turn away from his gaze she spotted that strange cloud of misery to vanish into nothing. His demons were gone and he was free.

His warm breath was so steady she wondered what was going in that mind of his when she didn't back up from him. Does he saw the way she looked at him? Does he felt something to her? Before she could do anything, he bowed his head and caught hers lips fully.

The kiss was awkward at first especially for her, being kissed for the first time in her life; however he seemed to guess that and carefully put his arms around her, pushing her into him. With closed eyes, Meggie was on cloud nine and didn't care about Mo's shriek of furious disapproval and Dustfinger did the same thing only deepening their sweet kiss.

Like she guessed he smelled of ashes and burning, passionate fire. As if only that. However everything good has got to an end and so those few seconds when she was in his arms flew past very quickly, too quickly. Burning on the inside she couldn't make herself to look at him, he however wanted to remember every even the smallest detail of her. In the distance Mo read the book aloud and was getting near end. Her heart ached painfully at that.

"Left pocket…"

His voice brought out that spark of bravery in her and she lifted her head to look at him. But her eyes were seeing only meadow and woods; he wasn't with them anymore. Behind her back she heard loud thud of closed book. Resa asked then agitated Mo to go back into house and give her some time and he agreed of course, yet she heard his furious words when they were going away.

Once she was left alone she reached into her left pocket and found herself pulling out small, crumbled piece of paper and a ring.

"_This is what I brought you__, this you can keep,  
><em>_this is what I brought you, may forget me.  
><em>_I promised to depart just promise one thing,  
><em>_kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

_-__ Dustfinger."_


End file.
